White Sox: Is Time Running Out To Deal For Rick Hahn?

White Sox haven’t made many significant moves since Winter Meetings. With Spring Training approaching, is it too late for Rick Hahn to make another move?

It is now the second week of February and the Spring Training is only a few days away. Pitchers and catchers are set to reach their Spring Training destinations some time during the next week and even though they have been involved in very heated trade talks since December, Jose Quintana and David Robertson are currently expected to reach Arizona with the Chicago White Sox.

The Astros were the first team to have been involved in serious talks with the Sox about a package comprised of more prospects for Sox. The Astros, like many other teams, felt that the asking price for the 28-year old Quintana was too high. Trade talks with the Astros have persisted but remain quiet for the time being.

The other player to be involved in advanced trade talks is closer David Robertson. The teams with major interest in the veteran closer Robertson have been the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals.

While the Blue Jays have expressed a mild interest in Robertson, the familiar Nationals have had multiples talks with the Sox in an effort to add more depth to their bullpen. The problem with the White Sox dealing with the Nats is Washington has already offered and given away their best prospect package to the South Siders.

Acquiring the three top-tier Washington prospects, Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dane Dunning, has probably not stopped White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn from asking for even more.Many people felt the White Sox received more than a fair price for outfielder Adam Eaton.

The storyline that has now begun to develop is the White Sox may be running out of time to complete these deals before Spring Training. Hahn has failed to move Quintana and Robertson because the teams dealing with the Sox are unable to find neutral ground on the right prospect package. However, while it may seem like time is running out to deal for Hahn and the White Sox, the good news is the Sox actually have the upper hand in this restructuring process.

The White Sox chose to hold onto Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier for the possibility of receiving better pieces at the trade deadline rather than during the winter. The Sox can afford to keep their asking prices as high as they see fit for these quality arms because if they choose to hold onto Quintana and Robertson, they can trade the quality, front of the rotation starting pitcher and a solid bullpen arm at the deadline for an even higher asking price than it currently is.

The options for the White Sox while the clock continues to tick toward the Spring, are either holding onto to the pitchers until the deadline, or dealing them now so that the players acquired in the trades can have a full preseason with the team. So whether it’s the price the Sox are asking for now or a higher price at the deadline, the Sox are in a good position at this point.